Pakistan, China agree to deepen digital and industrial cooperation: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed a high-level Chinese business delegation and said Pakistan and China will expand cooperation in the digital economy, investment facilitation and industrial development.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office posted on X, the delegation was led by Qian Xiaojun, founder and president of IBI Beijing United Technology, who met the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.

The prime minister said Pakistan and China share “historic ties” and remain “all-weather strategic cooperative partners,” adding that he looked forward to his upcoming visit to China later this month.

He praised China’s economic progress under President Xi Jinping and stressed the importance of expanding business-to-business cooperation between the two countries.

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Sharif particularly welcomed the IBI Group’s decision to establish its Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in Pakistan, saying it would help strengthen technological collaboration and industrial linkages.

He said the initiative would support investment facilitation and improve digital integration between the two sides, especially in connecting small and medium enterprises to Chinese markets.

The Chinese delegation expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic direction and said the group aims to build a “digital backbone” for Pakistan’s economic transformation through long-term cooperation.

Officials said the proposed headquarters would act as a command centre for digital development projects and help create new business opportunities in the technology sector.

Several federal ministers attended the meeting, including officials from investment, commerce, IT, petroleum and industries divisions.